Soul Hunter ソウル ハンター
by Storm Kesocascay
Summary: There are only four scythe weapons left in the world. Mıkenna Saholanai needs a scythe so she meets Shinigami Jigoku, the Shadow Scythe, but he has a long lost secret that can prove deadly. Rated Teen for violence and language.
1. Prologue 1

**Soul Hunter/****ソウル ハンター**

Prologue 1: Shinigami and Mıkenna

The Shadow Scythe Jigoku Shinigami and Mıkenna Saholanai, the Scythe Meister.

Wielding a Demon?

JP: Purorōgu izureka: Shinigami to Mıkenna

Shinigami shadō kama jigoku to Mıkenna Saholanai, kama no maisutā.

Akuma o furimawasu?

Author's Note:

The inspiration for Soul Hunter came from Soul Eater. I loved the idea and wanted to make my own version, sad thing is that I thought writing books was bad, (Yes, I am a real author.) writing FanFictions is harder for many reasons. Other than that, this is a fun hobby.

The names for the characters are based on their personalities translated into Japanese or Atlantian.

"Shinigami Jigoku" for example is Japanese for "Death God/Grim Reaper from Hell". You'll find out why in later volumes. Shinigami actually had two names, his current name and a rough draft name. his rough draft name was "KaraJigoku Shikami", but I took out "Kara" ("from/after") because with "Jigoku" and "Death God", "from" was already implied. "Shikami" becomes "Shinigami" if I add "Shi/Shini" ("Death") to "Kami" ("God"), but I did not want "Grim Reaper", but "Grim Reaper" and "Death God" are the same in Japanese.

Also when I first introduce Shinigami, Aryas said "Jigoku Shinigami," but his first name is Shinigami. Since his name is Japanese, I list it in Japanese format so his last name is spoken first.

"Mıkenna Saholanai" is Atlantian for "Soul Soothing Butterfly" and is based off of my dear friend Makenna Lockhart. I took "Makenna" and translated it into Atlantian making "Mıkenna". My only options for the translation was "Makinaro" ("Machine") or "Mıkenna" ("Butterfly").

"Shinogetsu Samau" is a combination of Japanese and Atlantian. "Shinogetsu" is Japanese for "Death's Moon" and "Samau" is Atlanitan for "Symmetry". I named him so because of his love for symmetry, and I just love the word "Shini no getsu". ("Death's Moon")

"Aryas Kesocascay" is the actual Atlantian god of Dimensions. I don't describe him well and if your imaginations aren't enough, here is a drawing of Aryas (computers helped in the making of this.):

I really thought on trashing the project after I wrote the prologue, I hope you enjoy it!

_**Storm Kesocascay**_

**Intro: the Academy**

Soul City, a city in a world separated from all others, yet on earth, home to the Kishin Hunting and Destroying Academy, or more commonly known as the KHDA.

Working with the Death Weapon Meister Academy or DWMA in Death City, the KHDA's mission is the same as the DWMA's; hunt and destroy any traces of the Kishins, evil gods who, if not stopped, will plunge the world into madness.

To prevent the Kishins from getting a hold on the world again, the Grim Reaper, Death founded the DWMA and worked with Lord Aryas, Atlantian god of the Dimensions who founded the KHDA, using meisters and weapons to keep the world at peace. What Death and Aryas did not realize is that there own enemy is under their roofs.

**Chapter 1: Battle at Kouri Mountains. Lord Aryas's old friend, and a monster?**

Mıkenna Saholanai, a meister, began her first day at the KHDA and found it almost un-eventful. She came because her mother turned her father into a Dragon Scythe, one of Aryas's personal weapons. Her dream was to create a greater Dragon Scythe than her mother, yet, she was a scythe meister and there were no scythes to be found. Aryas called her to the "Execution Room", his private office.

She came to the Execution Room's doors; two tall steel doors with many different unreadable languages inscribed on them, locked tight. She heard Aryas voice from many meetings on how to enter the room; "You cannot enter or leave the Execution Room with out permission from me, Aryas, and solely myself. To enter, use the 'Executioner's Knock' or this pattern; 3-1-2. You may only leave when I open the doors for you."

Mıkenna started the sequence; 3-1-2. When she finished, there was a moment when she thought she did it wrong when the doors did not respond, but then, the door began making clanking noises. The steel doors began to slide open slowly and ominously. She walked in without another thought as the doors closed again behind her, locking in place. She walked into a bright room that looked like it was actually outside and the ground was littered with graves. A series of guillotines in a long line formed archways that led to the center of the room.

After two minutes of passing under the deadly arches, she reaches a small platform with a mirror, and a large mechanical dragon standing in front of it. I was in thought as it seemed to watch the mirror, but Mıkenna saw nothing in it.

"Lord Aryas," Mıkenna said, bowing.

The dragon jumped with a start and turned. The large dragon was more than ten times Mıkenna's size and was built for battle. Aryas had long talons and she could see many more blades in his arms with large wings and a very adaptable body. His eyes were only some kind of "light bulbs" called "Optics" which she never fully understood. His optics were colored a dark orange/red color. His body emitted an ominous light blue energy.

For his terrorizing form, he spoke in a light voice; "Yes, yes, hello there! How's it going?" Aryas said.

"Not much," Mıkenna said. "I just have a question,"

"Well now, ask away." Aryas began clapping his hands together, almost excitingly.

Mıkenna had no idea what he was thinking. She can't get a read on him with his unpredictable metal body, but asked; "I was wondering if you found any scythe partners for me."

"Hmm…"Aryas grumbled to himself. "I don't know how to put this, nor how you'll handle it, but there are only four scythes that live today. These four are; Soul Eater who is a Death Scythe already, your father, and Spirit who is also a Death Scythe."

Mıkenna became confused for a moment. "What about the fourth?" she asked.

"That's the problem," Aryas said in a more upset tone of voice. "The fourth scythe is missing. He's not a Death Scythe or a Dragon Scythe yet, but no one ever found him, and those who did never made it back alive. I think he wants to be alone with no meister. Last time I heard of his location was over six hundred years ago in the Kouri Mountains, but that was a long time ago. I don't know if he is even still alive."

"Won't know 'till we check," Mıkenna said with pride and turned to leave. "Hold it!" Aryas shouted.

"You should take a weapon," he insisted. "No offense, but the way you are-" Aryas began eyeing her form; thin body, blonde hair that comes down to the base of her neck, no muscles, light skin with dark brown eyes wearing a short skirt and a sweater with a tie. "Against a scythe of his skill and strength, you won't last two minutes against him on your own. I'll get Soul Eater. You wait at the school for a while."

"Fine," Mıkenna reluctantly said turning to leave. "What's his name, the missing scythe?" she asked.

"Jigoku Shinigami," Aryas responded.

Mıkenna turned back to face Aryas, confused. "That's a strange name. Is he a Grim Reaper?" she asked.

"No," Aryas answered. "But something is strange about his soul. Be careful will 'ya?"

"Don't I always," Mıkenna assured and left. Her last comment scared Aryas. _She always says that, and then gets in trouble, _he thought to himself.

Mıkenna left the academy about an hour later and was about to go down the mountain of stairs when she hears a voice behind her say; "So, I was called here to baby-sit you?"

She turned to find a young man leaning up against a pillar next to the entrance. He had long white hair, blood red eyes, light skin, sharp teeth that were fang-like, and was wearing dark jeans, a orange shirt under a leather jacket and wore a hair band in his hair.

"I hope you're not going to the Kouri Mountains by yourself," he said.

Mıkenna turned to face him. "No, no," she insisted, waving her hands. Aryas was going to call a man named 'Soul Eater' to escort me there." She said.

"Oh," the man said. "So I'm baby sitting you then?"

"You're Soul Eater?" Mıkenna asked. "I thought you were older,"

"Death barely let me out here. He started saying 'please don't go!'" Soul got on his hands and knees mimicking Death. "'What should I do with my best and youngest Death Scythe fighting a scythe like Jigoku Shinigami?' and what's worse, he started crying. It was terrible." Soul said laughing.

"But still," Soul stopped suddenly. "We need to leave now. From what I saw, there will be a blizzard at the mountains tomorrow and we don't want to get caught in it."

"How well do you know the mountains?" Mıkenna asked.

"Like the back of my hand," Soul responded raising his hand and smacking himself by accident.

They began their journey to the Kouri Mountains. Along the journey, Soul began reciting the history of the mountains.

A Buddhist temple existed more than a thousand years ago, before the mountains froze. The temple was a training area for young Buddhists and a meditation training area. Then, two hundred years later, some traveler came to the temple asking for lodging. The monks accepted his request and let him stay, but one of the monks was suspicious of the traveler and tried to kill him. The monk was found a day later, hanging in a tree by his waist with his limbs and head cut off and chest ripped wide open.

They spoke to the traveler and he confessed that it was him and said that the monk tried to slit his throat, which was true. The monks appreciated his honesty and let him stay in their meditation practice room and offered him as much time undisturbed as he wanted. About a month after the offer, which he accepted, the temple was destroyed and the mountains froze.

"My guess is that the traveler was disturbed again, and that the traveler was Shinigami." Soul said after finishing.

"Maybe so," Mıkenna agreed. "If he did destroy the temple then he must be incredibly powerful, especially if he froze the mountains."

By this time, they have reached the halfway point; a large cave with three eyes in a triangle covering it. _Kishin eyes_ Soul growled to himself, but not sharing it with Mıkenna.

They walked into the cave. It was dark with icicles hanging from every inch of the cave ceiling.

"Stay close," Soul told Mıkenna. "Let me know if you feel something. Your Sixth Sense is far stronger than mine." She wordlessly obeyed.

They walked for a little longer when Mıkenna stopped abruptly.

"What is it?' Soul asked.

"I feel an old and evil soul here and a feeling that we should not disturb it and leave." Mıkenna described.

"We should keep going." Soul said. Mıkenna tried to protest but Soul silenced her so he can explain. "If we go back, we'll get caught in the blizzard and we are already close if you can sense a soul, it might be Shinigami's."

Mıkenna nodded and walked a half-step before pushing Soul out of the way of a falling icicle. Soul was preparing to yell when he noticed the icicle, and more of them falling.

"RUN!" he shouts. The two run, barely dodging the falling spears of ice.

When Soul and Mıkenna feel fatigue creep up on them and that their lungs have been emptied, the cave ends to a large opening with the icicles no longer falling behind them.

Soul and Mıkenna try to rest for a moment. Soul did not have enough breath to explain, but it was near night when they entered the cave, and they spent only a few minutes in the cave, but here, it was day time. He wanted to tell Mıkenna but saw that she noticed too.

Mıkenna stood abruptly and walked away from Soul towards a pair of large steel doors in the ice, doors like the Execution Room's doors. Soul joined her and they both examined the doors closely; tall, made of steel, large enough for Aryas to fit through, and only opened inwards, meaning that if they went in and the doors closed and there were no handles, they would be trapped.

Mıkenna pushed on the doors, yet they did not move. Both Soul and Mıkenna tried, but still no response.

"Try knocking," Soul suggested. Mıkenna knocked, still no response, until an idea came to her; _these doors look a lot like the Execution Room's doors. Are they so similar to have the same way of entering? _She used the Executioner's Knock; 3-1-2.

For a moment, no response, until the door started clicking and the sounds of locks being undone emitted from the doors.

"Interesting," Soul said. "What was that?"

"That was the Executioner's Knock." Mıkenna answered. "It is used to enter Aryas's Execution Room. In ancient times, executioners made that knock telling their prisoners that it was time to die. After he made that knock, the guards would pull the prisoner out and take him to the gallows where he will die."

"I never did like Aryas, now my dislike is worse because he makes that the only way to meet him." Soul said.

The doors quieted for a moment, then opened slowly and ominously.

They opened to a once worship and prayer chamber that is now destroyed. Kishin Eye marks covered the room. The doors closed behind them, but did not lock. To Mıkenna's fear, the doors only opened inwards, and there were no handles. She pushed on the door, but it did not move.

"We're trapped," Mıkenna told Soul.

"I can see that," Soul responded.

They were both silenced when they saw a hunched over figure in the back of the room. The figure looked to be sleeping, until blood red eyes appeared on its face.

"Hello?" Mıkenna said.

The figure remained silent for a moment, and then spoke. "Are you here to kill me?" said a dark, untraceable voice that had Soul and Mıkenna looking around until they realized it came from the figure.

"No," Mıkenna responded. "I am Mıkenna Saholanai. This is Soul Eater. We heard you are a scythe, one of the last. You can have a meister if you come with us."

"No," the figure said. "I am my own meister."

"That's impossible!" Soul exclaimed. "No weapon can wield itself!"

"Who says that?" the figure said beginning to stand. "Lord Death and his army of meisters. Did you know he had a Kishin sleeping under his academy? It was not long ago."

Soul snapped. "Shut up! You have no right to speak of that! If you are this goddamn-all-powerful scythe, why the hell did you not help you fucking coward!"

The figure did not even flinch at Soul's cursing. "Quite the nasty-mouth isn't he?" the figure said.

"That's it!" Soul shouted. "You're mine! I'm going to eat your soul!"

The figure began walking closer. "Not if I eat yours first." The figure said calmly.

The figure walked so Mıkenna and Soul could see him. He was a young man, probably eighteen. Light skin, blood red eyes and hair, dark black clothing with a type of cloak hanging down to the back of his knees. Muscular, but not too much. Straight and symmetrical build. He smiled showing rows of silver glittering fangs.

"I am Jigoku Shinigami; the Shadow Scythe." Shinigami said. "Your souls are strange." Shinigami said looking intently on Mıkenna and Soul. "The young lady has a soul that is fighting and accepting, very flexible. I can tell you that your soul is a soothing soul, very rare, but there is only one soul that you are fully compatible with, maybe a lover that you are not aware exists. And now the boy,"

"Who you calling boy?" Soul interrupted.

"Your soul is that of a Death Scythe, very impressive, yet you are unaware of your duties for Lord Death. He probably has nothing to do now-a-days. You already have a partner, but it is not the lady, however her soul is very similar to that or your partner's. Your souls appear to be in resonance, but they aren't." Shinigami finished.

"He can actually read the personalities of the souls," Mıkenna said awe-struck.

"Hang on, you can read souls that clearly, right?" Soul asked Mıkenna.

Mıkenna hesitated. "Oh, yes."

"Your soul is a little caught of guard by that last comment," Shinigami said.

"Hey!" Mıkenna exclaimed. "Quit looking at my soul, you creep!"

"No that I have the necessary soul data, let's begin." Shinigami said ominously. "If you wish to control me, you must prove yourselves worthy of the Shadow Scythe." Shinigami began stretching and his body began cracking like bones were being put in place. When he finished, three blades came out of each of his fists.

"Round one!" Shinigami said lunging at Mıkenna and Soul. The two barely dodged his attack with small cuts on their arms. They landed on opposite sides of Shinigami.

"Soul!" Mıkenna shouted.

"I'm on it!" Soul responded. He jumped over Shinigami, turning into a Scythe, and landing in Mıkenna's hands. She spins him over her head then lunges at Shinigami, but he was too fast. In the few seconds it took for Mıkenna to make that strike, he dodged, cut her, and landed a few yards away.

"He's fast," Soul said to Mıkenna. "We need to be faster."

"Right," she responded. She lunged him again, slightly faster than last time, but still not enough. Shinigami punched her in the leg and kicked her in the chest in the same blow, making his position upside down and with his back to Mıkenna. Hi kicked again separating the two. Mıkenna falls with enough force that Soul was knocked out of her hands.

Shinigami landed on his feet ant turned to face them. "I'm not even getting warmed up. Let's make this a little more fun." In that sentence, Mıkenna realized; Shinigami loved to fight. That is the only pleasure he has. He won't stop until he is satisfied.

Shinigami began growling and more blades came out of his ankles, thighs, two small blades and one large blade in the middle of his back paired with two metal wings, spikes coming out of his face and blades coming out of his elbows, fore arms and large spikes on his shoulders.

"This will be fun," Shinigami said ominously. "I will eat both of your souls!" He said lunging at Mıkenna.

"Mıkenna," Soul shouted. "Snap out of it! He's coming!"

Mıkenna did not move. She accepted her fate, and her mistake when she looked again at Shinigami's blade covered body;

She picked the wrong opponent. All she remembered nest was seeing blood.

_Want to know what happens next? Leep in touch for Soul Hunter; Prologue 1 part 2; The Shadow Scythe. Lord Aryas's long lost secret of the Shadow Scythes?_


	2. Prologue 1 part 2

**Soul Hunter/****ソウル****ハンター**

**Prologue 1 part 2: The Shadow Scythe. Lord Aryas's long lost secret of the Shadow Scythes?**

**JP: ****Purorōgu 1-bu 2: Shadō Ōgama: Shu Ariasu no nagaiai yukue fumei no kage no kama no himitsu?**

**Previously on Soul Hunter:**

**Mıkenna Saholanai is a Scythe Meister and is looking for any scythe she can wield. Lord Aryas tells her of a scythe named Jigoku Shinigami, a Shadow Scythe. **

**Mıkenna and Soul Eater head for Shinigami's last known location; the Kouri Mountains, and learned of its haunting past.**

**When they arrive, they find Shinigami, but is unwilling to work with them and claims that He is his own meister and will trust no one else. He claims that if Mıkenna can beat him in a battle, he will work with her, but that would be impossible.**

**His skill surpassed that of Mıkenna's and Soul's combined. After getting attacked multiple times, she gets the wind knocked out of her.**

**All she remembered next was seeing blood.**

**Prologue 1 part 2: The Shadow Scythe. Lord Aryas's long lost secret of the Shadow Scythes?**

Mıkenna woke from a quick black out, pain running down her chest and legs where Shinigami hit her. She opened her eyes and saw Shinigami's arm blade held to her throat, quivering. She looked up and saw Shinigami's red eyes, void of any sign of life, blood dripping down his chest and a familiar looking blade protruding from his copper smelling gore covered breast.

The blade pulled back and Shinigami fell limply to the floor. She looked back up to see Soul, his arm in blade form with Shinigami's blood dripping from it.

"Did you kill him?" Mıkenna asked slowly.

"I think so," Soul responded in a dry tone of voice. "I don't want to stick around to find out."

His blade turned back into his arm and held it out to Mıkenna to help her up. When she stood, she noticed that she was covered in Shinigami's blood from her face to chest. _He had a lot of blood in him,_ she thought to herself. She looked down and saw Shinigami's body, laying face up. His unseeing eyes open, gazing straight at Mıkenna, almost seeming to follow her. She started when she noticed that his mouth was slightly curved into a small grin.

"Why would he be smiling like that?" Soul asked.

"I have no idea," Mıkenna responded. She looked back into his eyes; large pupils, each with a blood-red iris, almost looking blood shot. Some of his blood got into his hair, but Mıkenna barely noticed the difference between his blood-red colored hair and the blood. She examined him closer, black clothing with a long jacket. She looked closer around his neck where she would have sworn she saw something glow a light blue for a moment then vanished.

"Let's go," Soul said finally. "He's dead, yet he still gives me the creeps."

Mıkenna agreed and stood. _There are no more scythes that I can partner with now,_ she thought privately. They reached the doors where they entered through before. Soul tried, yet he could not get the door to open. Mıkenna came forward to try, and then, it hit her; something was not right.

Soul saw this and asked "What's wrong?"

Mıkenna looked at Soul with horror in her eyes. "We are the only two souls here right?" she asked Soul.

"I believe so," Soul responded. "Why?"

Mıkenna's eyes widened as she said "Then, why do I sense three?"

They looked at each other for a moment, realizing what was going on. In unison, they look back at Shinigami's mangled body. For a moment, all was still, and then they heard laughing. As the laughing sound resonated throughout the temple, Shinigami's body began to stir and move in unnatural ways as the wound in his chest healed and the blood around him began to return into his body.

He rose like a vampire rising from the dead. Through his blood colored bangs, Soul and Mıkenna saw his blood eyes, slit like a cats eyes in bright day light. The slit-pupils reminded Mıkenna what a dragon's eyes would look like when they were hungry for meat.

Shinigami opened his mouth revealing his threatening teeth into a smile. "Do you think you can defeat me with that?" He said ominously.

At that moment, Soul turned back into a scythe and Mıkenna raised him in hopes of giving Shinigami at least a little fear, but Shinigami did not even flinch at the intimidation.

Shinigami fully rose to his feet and the blades about his body appeared once more. "I smell your fear," Shinigami said. "Were you not expecting that?"

Instead of lunging at Mıkenna, like she thought he would, he simply raised his hand, palm facing Mıkenna, and said on word; "_Brisingr!_"

Mıkenna noted that the word sounded like the crackling of fire, then she noticed something; Shinigami's soul was somehow changing. His soul became warmer, almost burning hot and surrounded him in a blanket of heat and light. When she tried to look closer, Shinigami's arm caught fire. A large tornado of flames covering his arm fingers to shoulder. The fire began to descend from his shoulder, to his elbow, to his wrist until finally it rested into a large ball of burning fire in his palm and began to increase in size.

_Magic?_ Mıkenna asked herself. At that thought, the fireball left Shinigami's hand hurtling for Mıkenna at blinding speed. She barely got out of the way when the fireball struck the doors behind her leaving her out of breath and slightly hot. She landed a good distance away when the full explosion knocked her further away, striking a wall hard. She could not tell if it was her imagination but she thought she heard a nasty _crack_. She landed hard onto the floor below her, knocking the wind out of her. She was seeing stars and white veins of lightning dash across her vision. It took the ominous approaching footsteps to rouse her and she felt Soul's cold handle in her hand. _If he gets close enough, I can cut him down._ Mıkenna thought. The footsteps stopped, from Mıkenna's judgment, about three feet away from her, not close enough. He heard him say a new word; "_Fumo ni kosa nai!_" Mıkenna began to rise off of the ground like she was floating. "_Fi!_" Shinigami said and she went flying across the room, landing in the wall again with the same _crack_ form before. She held there until Shinigami came and said "_Nai!_" She hit the ground again.

Mıkenna rose slowly and painfully. She tried to find Soul to cut Shinigami down, but he was nowhere in sight. Shinigami stepped closer. Mıkenna could see a nasty smile across his lips. She thought it was from hitting the wall, but she thought she saw a small eye on his forehead for a moment, and then it vanished.

She could hear Soul calling her name, telling her to run, but she could barely stand.

"Your soul is mine," Shinigami said. He rose his hand and said another word; "_Sylviya!_"

Silver-white lights flashed around him in ring patters then the rings when to his raised hand and darts the size of a spear began to form around his hand.

Mıkenna could barely feel her legs to run, so she closed her eyes and accepted defeat. The darts whizzed from his hand and Mıkenna could feel the white hot darts go through her soft flesh. The pain was excruciating, and then the pain ceased, along with all of her other senses.

_Thanks for being so patient. Prologue 1 is about to end. If you are familiar with my writing styles, you would know that I do at least 3 parts of 1 or 2 prologues. (My prologue parts are very short as well.)_

_Will Mıkenna survive the _Sylviya_ spell and defeat Shinigami? Find out in Soul Hunter Prologue 1 part 3: Resonating souls. A Resonance that should not be there?_

Author's note:

I know you are getting bored with all of these short prologues, but I do not have enough time to work on the whole project so of course it will be short. When we get into the actual story, they will be longer and more enjoyable, I promise.

I know you're wondering "_Brisingr_? Isn't that from _Eragon_?" well, you would be right and wrong. _Brisingr_ is from Christopher Paolini's _Eragon_, but it is also Atlanitan for _Fire_. Below is a graph of Atlantian words used here:

Atlanitan word

Translation

_Brisingr_

_Fire_

_Fuma ni kosa nai_

_You are not on the ground_ (Illusion that causes something to float.)

_Fi_

_Fly backwards_

You will understand why Shinigami is using magic in the next prologue.

Spoiler alert! In the next prologue, which will be shorter, the character Shinogetsu Samau will be introduced, along with his weapons; Liz and Patty Thomson. I took the Death the Kid character from _Soul Eater_, gave him drugs and took him a step further. After that, we will get to the main story.

You are wondering why I called this story an OC when I add my own characters. Let's just call it an OCX. (Original Characters with Extra)

Hope you continue to enjoy _Soul Hunter_.


	3. Prologue 1 part 3 final part

**Soul Hunter/****ソウル****ハンター**

Prologue 1 part 3:Resonating souls. A Resonance that should not be there?

**Previously on **_**Soul Hunter**_**:**

**Mıkenna Saholanai and Soul Eater Challenged Jigoku Shinigami to a battle to see if he will allow Mıkenna to wield him as a weapon.**

**The battle was messy and Shinigami was stabbed through the chest by Soul, killing him. **

**What Soul and Mıkenna did not know was that he was capable to use magic to restore his body and the battle was suddenly impossible.**

**Shinigami used a spell called **_**Sylviya**_** and needles of light pirced Mıkenna through the heart.**

**She blacked out.**

"Mıkenna," was all Mıkenna could hear as she floated in depthless darkness. She could hear a familiar voice call her name many times, yet could not place who it was or why she was being called.

_Am I dead?_ She asked herself. The only response she got was her voice echoing through the shadows of her mind.

The more time seemed to pass, she noticed the darkness clearing and light and shapes forming. Simple shapes at first; circles, triangles and squares, to more complicated shapes like pentagons and right triangles. Eventually, colors began to form, simple primary colors and began to blend to make more.

Her imagination began to roam creating more familiar places at first, then unknown reaches of the earth.

Her mind painted an imaginary vision of her and her family at the park on a sunny day, both her mother and father pushing her on a swing with her laughing childishly. Then her parents laughing stopped and they stopped pushing her. Mıkenna got off and turned around. She saw her parent's mangled bodies covered in blood with Shinigami behind them, turned in his weapon form with blades revealed and ready to strike. He was laughing devilishly and struck at Mıkenna. The pain was so real, she thought it was happening, until she remembered she was only dreaming and screamed "_You're not real!_" and the vision stopped.

This process would repeat with many other memories with Shinigami haunting her and her cutting off the visions, only letting the tormented nightmares return.

One vision was of her in a wedding gown and Shinigami standing next to her in a tuxedo. They stood overlooking the sunset watching it slowly sink into the horizon. They stood in silence. When the sun finally set, the moon appeared, but it was colored blood red. When she stared at the moon, she felt excruciating pain in her side. She looked only to find Shinigami's arm blade dug into her side piercing her liver and stomach, blood leaching out of the wound. She looked at Shinigami in the eyes only to find pleasure in his actions. In retaliation, she removed the blade and dug it into Shinigami's chest. The only sound he made was laughter as he lost his balance and fell down the cliff landing in a bloody mess.

She again repeated "_You're not real!_" and her only response was an untraceable voice saying _Are you sure?_

The question lingered in her mind as the vision faded.

More of these visions continued with more terrifying results, one with Aryas and Shinigami ripping off her flesh and eating her alive, one of her and Soul working together to defeat a Kishin when the Kishin was Shinigami and killed both Soul and Mıkenna, and one of her own father ripping her to shreds.

The pain she felt was so real, she could not believe it was not real, even the souls she felt were real.

She tried to fight it when she realized that Shinigami was trying to torture her somehow. She continued to fight against him though.

When she thought she had enough, a voice resonated through her mind calling her name and she knew instantly that it was Soul. She followed the voice until it led her to a bright light that she knew was real and walked through it.

Mıkenna opened her eyes slowly to spare them the bright glaring light. When she opened them enough to see an outline of Soul, she heard him call for someone, but her hearing was stunned.

After a minute, her eyesight and hearing returned eventually. She saw Soul and could see she was in the infirmary of the KHDA. She could sense Aryas in the room, but from the change in light due to his monstrous size and not his soul. Somehow, his soul always evades her.

She heard Soul say something, but all she heard was mumbled noises. She felt impact tremors come from, what she thought, Aryas walking closer. Even though her hearing was stunned, she could make out Aryas saying something in another language because the language seemed to reverberate through her. When he finished speaking, Mıkenna's hearing returned so fast, she covered them from the sudden pressure and noise.

Soul slowly removed her hands and began speaking to her. "Mıkenna?" Soul said. "Are you alright?"

Mıkenna's response was slow. "I'm fine." She finally said. "What happened?"

Aryas was the one who answered. "Shinigami is harder than I thought." He said in an undertone.

Mıkenna strained to see him. He was standing at the end of her bed, hunched over to avoid getting hit by the ceiling due to his size. "I thought after eight hundred years of solitary confinement, he forgot how to do that." Aryas said shaking his large head.

"Forgot how to do what?" Mıkenna asked

"Magic," Aryas responded. "He used magic in retaliation. Shinigami's natural instincts kicked in and he had a strong desire to protect himself. He was not afraid, his body was."

"What do you mean?" Mıkenna asked.

"How was I able to kill him yet he remained alive?" Soul asked.

"It is a dark magic called 'post-mortem molecular regeneration' or 'Regeneration' for short." Aryas answered. "Regeneration works by means of restoring lost cells faster than the laws of Mitosis allow. Even after death, this technique still works. Mainly, users have to prepare for the process when they feel that they will die. Shinigami is different; his body is prepared, involuntarily, all the time, in fact, he always has extra energy and cells to spare so he can regenerate wounds without dying. I think that his body did not regenerate for eight hundred years so his body was not used to the complicated process of Regeneration, so his instincts took effect and controlled his body, giving him the energy he needed to use magic."

"What did he do to me?" Mıkenna asked.

"He used the _Sylviya_ spell." Aryas replied. "_Sylviya_ casts the user's soul wavelengths into their opponents by converting their soul's energy into its full form; light. The word _Sylviya_ actually means _Light_ or _Silver_. I take it that while you were sleeping, he haunted your mind. Am I wrong?"

"No," Mıkenna responded. She told Aryas of the the visions she had, leaving out the part of her and Shinigami in marriage attire watching the sunset.

Aryas appeared troubled. "This is worse than I thought," he said lowering his head. "He is trying to tell you something, but I cannot figure it out. Least I can tell you; he will continue doing this until you resolve the problem he is telling you or you put him under control, but not now. You need to rest. He almost stabbed you through the heart. He hit everything else but only a scratch on your heart."

"Will that keep me from wielding a scythe?" Mıkenna asked.

"For now, yes," Aryas responded. He lifted a clawed finger and pointed at her. "If this gives you any idea to go back there alone, you are wrong and you will pay. I will not be there to save you or carry out your fate, it will be Shinigami." He then turned his back to Mıkenna, shaking the ground. "Rest now," was all he said as he walked through the door and vanished from sight.

"He's right," Soul said as he stood up. "You need to rest if you plan on getting back at Shinigami." He left, but Mıkenna noticed he left a small gold key with a dragon wrapped around its handle left in the chair.

Mıkenna instantly grabbed the key and twirled it around in her fingers. She knew it was the key to the locked window to her left and she knew Soul's plan for her, and she would act on it at sunset.

The sun finally set and everything was quiet. Mıkenna told herself to act quickly for Aryas patrols the area at night at if he found her…she did not want to think of her fate.

She began to stand on her feet, slowly at first, and then she eventually got her balance. She found her clothes folded on a rack. She grabbed them and changed out of the hospital garment she was wearing. Once she had control of her body, she ran to the window and placed the key into a small hole in the window and turned. When the key resisted, the window harmlessly flew open. _That was way too easy,_ Mıkenna thought, and she was right. When she removed the key from the window, the dragon on its end uncurled and flew off, screeching. She knew it was a trap Aryas placed, and it worked.

She jumped out of the window grabbing onto the shingles and slowly making her way down, when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She looked and saw Shinigami, standing at the edge of the roof with all of his blades revealed looking as threatening as ever.

Mıkenna's first instinct was to let go, and somehow, Shinigami knew that. He jumped for Mıkenna, slashing her across the face forcing her to fall. She fell on something soft, yet firm and she heard a voice say "I've got you, Mıkenna," and she felt her feet on the ground. Her eyesight was blurry at first, when it returned; she saw she was being held by Soul.

She remembered Shinigami attacking her and remembered that he had control of her mind. _Was Shinigami an illusion, or is Soul actually Shinigami in disguise?_ She asked herself. She knew Shinigami would be smarter than to make it seem she was attacked on the roof, what better than to hide as a friend she trusts.

She began lashing out, trying to get away from Soul, or Shinigami, she was not sure which. As she lashed out, screaming, Soul did not resist, but simply held her and said; "_Sa uğa Mıkenna desu ve ëh uğa kenoresar desu._"

Mıkenna stopped. She knew the words. She knew them from when Mıkenna tried taking Kaiyumian language classes. Kaiyumian, commonly mistaken as "Atlanitan", was probably what Shinigami knew as well. What Soul said was an old phrase that only they used when in times of danger and Shinigami might have no way of replicating it. He said "_You are Mıkenna, the Butterfly, and I am your shield._"

She knew her name was Kaiyumian for "Butterfly" and if Shinigami knew that as well, he might have used it against her. But she felt calm. She knew that it was Soul.

She pushed herself away and simply asked; "Then, what is the illusion? Shinigami attacked me on the-"

"That was the illusion," Soul interrupted. "Where did he hit you then?"

"My face," Mıkenna answered. "Right here," she touched the area of her forehead where she felt a cut run really close to her eye. She pulled her hand away when she felt pain and saw blood on her hands.

Soul touched the same area, this time, no pain, and no blood. "Shinigami cannot trick the trust of others." Soul said. "He can make it seem as though you are missing a leg, but the friend who you trust cannot be tricked and if you trust them, therefore the illusion fails. I spent some time studying on how to counter Shinigami's magic."

"Good thing to do." Mıkenna said. She fell silent when she heard a small screeching above them. Soul's face told her that he heard it too. They both looked up and saw the small golden dragon fluttering in the air screeching. Soul and Mıkenna did not feel threatened by the small metal dragon, until it screeched "_Uğaidra!_" Both Soul and Mıkenna knew it meant "_Fate_".

Right then, an even larger screech, no, a roar that echoed and shook the buildings around them sounded and a large section of the stars vanished leaving a shadow of a large dragon.

Soul and Mıkenna wasted neither waist time nor breath, they just ran, ran from Aryas, the Dimensional God, known from the older legends as the Black Dragon, the Kishin Hunter, and the Shadow Slayer. Mıkenna and Soul remembered the legends that if Aryas was locked on a hunt, he would never stop until his prey was dead.

Running from a god, they knew, would do no good. They heard Aryas roar again and they felt the air spin as he lowered in altitude. Soul and Mıkenna ran faster only for Aryas to release a spray of burning red-white fire hot enough too melt even the strongest of metals.

Mıkenna and Soul were unaware of Aryas's anger until they noticed it was a full moon night, a time when Aryas's powers naturally rose to their full extent, leaving him tortured in the amount of power he held.

Soul and Mıkenna doubled in speed only for Aryas to release another wave of fire.

The two kept running until they found themselves trapped in a dead end of buildings. They turned to see Aryas close his wings and land, putting his full weight down shaking the area. He let out another roar, which was more of a mixture of a roar and a high pitched screech.

Soul and Mıkenna closed their eyes as Aryas opened his massive jaws revealing a bluish light inside his mouth. When Soul and Mıkenna were sure he was going to kill them, they heard another roar, quieter, but the same as Aryas's.

They opened their eyes to see Aryas looking towards the sky. The roar sounded again and Aryas, with a deep snarl, took flight again.

Neither Soul nor Mıkenna knew what happened, but decided to not waste time and run. They ran as fast as they could towards the Kouri Mountains.

When the two felt safe, they stopped to catch their breath and looked back towards Soul City and saw Aryas bathing the sky in flames, leaving the city untouched.

"What do you think caught his attention?" Mıkenna asked Soul.

"I don't know," Soul replied. "Aryas has many enemies."

After a few minutes, they decided to continue moving. They followed the same path as they did last time leading towards the cave with the Kishin Eyes carved above the entrance.

They progressed slowly to make sure not to spring the traps. They made it to the end of the cave without any problems, which made them curious, but not enough to stay around. They moved quickly to the steel doors they met on their last voyage and Soul was once again aware that the sky was lit like daytime. He looked at his watch and it said Eleven at night, so he was, once again, curious on how that is possible. He looked at Mıkenna and saw her reaction that she noticed it as well.

They came to the doors, knowing of what lay inside for them and got prepared mentally. When they both felt ready, Mıkenna used the Executioner's Knock again and the door opened slowly.

When the doors opened fully, Soul and Mıkenna walked in, then the doors slammed shut behind them. They noticed Shinigami in the same spot where he was last time, in the far back of the room, hunched over and oblivious to the world. Soul and Mıkenna walked closer and they saw the red eyes appear again.

"So, you're back." They heard Shinigami say. He stood slowly and walked towards Soul and Mıkenna. "I figured with the visions I gave you, you would not return here. You are a strange soul." Shinigami said to Mıkenna.

Mıkenna was able to get a closer look at Shinigami's soul. It was a lot like Aryas's; powerful, changing, not perfect, but one thing that stood out was that his soul was stronger. It occurred to her that if his soul is similar to that of Aryas's, then the same might be true. _That explains why it is never night in these parts,_ Mıkenna thought to herself.

"Soul," she said calling him over. "He gets stronger at the full moon as well; maybe night is all he needs." She explained. "That is why it is always day time here; to keep him weak and from escaping. This place is a prison."

Soul understood that they might have a chance. They turned to Shinigami only to see him laughing. "You are all smart," Shinigami said. "The monks here wanted to stop me so they placed a spell on the area so it is always daylight. I can go into sunlight, but with this place being one-way only, I was trapped in here for eight hundred years and eight hundred years of no moonlight takes a toll. I cannot enter into the sunlight without dying unless I was carried out by my successor in battle and I was carried out in weapon form. Those damn monks deserved their one-way ticket to the dark reaches of the void."

"You killed them?" Mıkenna shouted.

"Why not?" Shinigami said. "They violated our terms and must therefore be eliminated." Shinigami crouched down. "Enough talk, more blood!" He launched himself at Soul and Mıkenna. The two dodged his strike and landed behind Shinigami. Shinigami turned to Mıkenna swinging Soul, in weapon form, at him. Shinigami parried each strike and kicked Mıkenna in the ribs.

Mıkenna flew back several feet. She landed on her back and heard that nasty _crack_ again. She stood slowly trying to gain her breath and ease the pain in her back, neck and chest.

"Mıkenna," Soul said. "You can't stand long in a battle like this. Your body can't take it. Let me fight in your place."

"No," she said. "I want to be a great meister like my mother and I will do so, no matter how much it hurts!" She shouted and ran for Shinigami again. Shinigami parried her rage strike, put his hand on her face and said "_Kyare!_" His hand grew hot-iron red and exploded. Mıkenna was thrown back with burns all over her body.

She stood and charged again. Mıkenna and Shinigami parried strikes, locked in a dance of rage, fear, battle, and, for some reason, and amount of ecstasy. Shinigami felt strong and felt somehow unnatural for himself. He thought he felt something in his heart for this girl, but judged it as the love he felt in every battle; the love of battles and of death.

This feeling pushed him on and he began striking harder and harder and stopped when he felt something in his chest. Soul's blade pierced his heart. He let out a comedic sigh and pulled the blade from his body and the wound repaired itself.

"So tell me," Shinigami said to Mıkenna. "After killing me, what is it you plan on doing next?" He pushed Soul and Mıkenna away in one mighty kick and continued attacking.

They kept striking each other until they felt depleted of life, well, Mıkenna was, Shinigami felt as young as ever. More time passed and Mıkenna's strikes became more worn and random. It was easy for Shinigami to block her attacks.

As Mıkenna tried an overhand strike, something occurred to Shinigami; why is she still alive?

Instead of blocking, he moved back, faster than normal, he wondered if he actually teleported. But that was the least of his concerns. Why is she not dead yet? Why is he keeping her alive?

Mıkenna continued to attack and Shinigami continued to move backwards. He still questioned his motives on letting her live. She was near death anyway, one blow is all he needs, but why can't he do it? Why does his soul tell him not to? Why does his arm not obey his commands?

He felt something hard against his back and knew it was the one-way door. Mıkenna made another strike, this one to cut off his head. Shinigami just watched the blade come closer to his neck and whispered "Shina sete," and his head came off and his body fell to the floor. "Let me die," were his last words.

Mıkenna and Soul felt relieved when they saw Shinigami's limp body fall to the ground. They lowered their guard for a moment, and then Shinigami's body began to stir once more.

His body stood and felt the area of his neck and they heard a voice say "Koko ni," over and over as if talking to the body. They saw the body turn, bend over, and stood again with Shinigami's head in its hands, alive this time.

"That's it?" Shinigami said. "How boring," His body lifted his head and placed it on the stub of his neck. The flesh repaired itself and his body twisted his neck, cracking the bones in place. When Shinigami turned his newly replaced head to face Soul and Mıkenna, he had anger, yet sadness in his eyes.

"Now you will die," Shinigami said raising a bladed hand.

Mıkenna closed her eyes and waited for Shinigami's attack, but nothing. She opened her eyes to see Shinigami in the same position, shaking. Mıkenna could say she saw a tear run down Shinigami's cheek.

Shinigami yelled and ran past Mıkenna. He ran a fair distance then turned abruptly and yelled to Mıkenna "What have you done to me?"

Mıkenna felt sad when Shinigami knelt down and broke into silent tears. No sound, just that of water hitting the ground.

Mıkenna took Soul and laid him against the wall. "What are you doing?" Soul asked her, but she did not reply, she just started walking to Shinigami.

She stopped right next to Shinigami. She could hear him repeat "Ëh uğa ne desu yo ka?" which she knew was Kaiyumian for "What am I?"

She knelt down to Shinigami's level and raised his head to look in his eyes. She felt pained to look into his blood colored eyes when tears were running out of them; she thought that the tears gave his eyes the look that his irises were made of blood.

"You are yourself," she answered.

Shinigami shook his head free of her hands and said "There is a reason why I ran from humanity so long ago, and that is because of being myself." Mıkenna understood; there was something about him in the past that he despised.

Shinigami took his hand and grabbed Mıkenna's. She felt something rub against her mind and pierce it like a needle piercing a vein. A multitude of emotions ran through her from its source, Shinigami. She blacked out for a moment as Shinigami gave her a vision from his past.

His mind retreated shortly afterwards. She understood who he was and why he felt like this. She decided to keep the vision private until its knowledge is needed.

She knew what was wrong with him; he killed for so long, he wanted to stop. He wanted to move on and show mercy to those who challenged him, but he could not stop.

"You can stop now," Mıkenna whispered in his ear. "You do not need to kill anymore. If you come with me, you can show mercy while enjoying the battle."

Shinigami understood what she meant; she wanted him to come to the KHDA and make him her weapon partner so she can kill his opponents, but he would play a major role in that battle, one he would enjoy.

"Alright," Shinigami said. "I come with you. You may wield me, but you will never wield me as a Shadow Scythe, only a regular Scythe."

"Ok," Mıkenna responded. She reached out her hand to Shinigami.

Shinigami lifted his head and stared at her hand, and then fitted his hand in hers. Mıkenna took that moment to really feel his Soul. Her results startled her; He had two souls in his body. Somehow, he was two different people.

She decided to ask about it later. She lifted Shinigami by the hand to get him to stand. Once one his feet, Shinigami said "Karitor," and the one-way doors opened.

Once the doors reached full capacity, the sunlight touched Shinigami's face and he passed out. Mıkenna caught him by the shoulder and was surprised on how lightweight he is. She carried him over her shoulder and carried him out, meeting Soul near the door were she left him, but in human form.

"Well, I guess he is not as tough as I thought," Soul said mockingly. Mıkenna chuckled at the comment and led all three of them out.

Once they came outside, the sun faded and turned into the night it was.

Mıkenna and Soul followed the same way they took to get there back. Mıkenna began to think about Shinigami when something in her chest tightened. She felt like her heart stopped. It did for a moment, then restarted. She began to question it when an idea came to her.

She checked Shinigami's pulse and found that his pulse matched hers.

She knew what it was; they were in Resonance.

**End of prologue 1: M****ıkenna Saholanai and Jigoku Shinigami.**

**Prologue 2: Shinogetsu Samau and the Twins.**

**Also, check My FaceBook for "Sketch-Dates" of my progress on the series. Check reviews list for link. **

**Look for the photo album "Sketch-Dates: Soul Hunter".**

**For new readers, Sketch-Dates are drawn updates on my progress on a given series.**

**Thanks for your patience and thanks for reading. You guys are the reason I am still writing.**

_**Storm Kesocascay,**_

**Kaiyumi word: English translation**

_**Kyare (v. Kyaremek): Explode (v. To explode)**_

_**Karitor (v. Karitormak): Open (v. To open)**_


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